What Clients Say

Here are some client testimonials and recommendations from people who have commissioned David to work with their businesses and organisations around the world.
Below are some comments from clients in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Chile, Colombia, Indonesia, Ireland, Lithuania, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, USA and the UK.

“It was a pleasure to invite David to give the keynote speech at the Third International Creative Industries Conference in Novi Sad, Serbia. His speech about ‘Creative Business in the Digital Economy’ was enlightening. It was ideal for our audience that included startups, government officials, investors and agencies from Serbia and other countries. David’s speech was also broadcast on TV to reach an even wider audience. We were delighted with the positive impact that David made on the creative industries here in Serbia.”
Tatjana Kalezic. Creative Industries Cluster of Vojvodina KVIK.http://www.kvik.rs

“Donegal Local Enterprise Office engaged David Parrish as a keynote speaker and to deliver a number of one to one mentoring sessions as part of Local enterprise Week 2017. David spent a number of days in Donegal, meeting with creative businesses and engaging with stakeholders interested in the creative sector. During that time his wealth of experience was evident and his insights to the creative industries proved invaluable. Feedback from all those who engaged with David was immensely positive and we were delighted that his input contributed significantly to a very successful Donegal Local Enterprise Week 2017.”
Michael Tunney, Head of Enterprise, Donegal, Irelandwww.localenterprise.ie/Donegal

“You know the workshop was great when you have to kindly ask people to leave the premises because the building is closing soon. David is the only speaker who managed to evoke such interest in young entrepreneurs, and we had a wide range of international speakers and businessmen visit us. Combination of expert knowledge, enormous experience, and unique eloquence are what make David ‘a must-have’ in every accelerator/organization/event/conference.”
Ajla Fijuljanin. Foundation Networks. Bosnia-Herzegovinawww.networks.ba

“David gave a very interesting presentation on ‘a-Creativity and i-Creativity for Business Success’. Everyone agreed that his international examples were inspirational.”
Aynur Kerimova, Baku State University, Azerbaijan Republicwww.bsu.edu.az

“David´s engagement and visit to SPARK business park has been an amazing motivation to our startups (internal workshops) and general audience (open event – “Creative marketing”), with concrete outputs when it comes to them creating new marketing strategies, adapting the existing ones and forming brand new ideas with David. The startups have been talking about David´s amazing advice and encouragement for long after he left SPARK and he certainly made a significant impact on our community – especially through follow ups and being open to further communication and collaboration as a future mentor to our startups. We appreciate the enthusiasm and all the stories that he shared with us. Also, SPARK team had the pleasure to have very interesting conversations with David and his insightful observations improved our perspective on our startups, ourselves as a team and the IT eco-system as a whole.”
Sara Lerota. SPARK Business Park. Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.www.spark.ba

“David has been a pleasure to work with since day one when we have approached him. His name was specifically chosen based on his expertise and background as a creative keynote speaker. We are especially appreciating the attention to details given by David and flexibility to fit the conference theme promoting the creative economy in Saudi. Audiences from different backgrounds were highly influenced by the content presented by David throughout his two speeches “Creative Economy Worldwide” and “Combining Business Within Creativity”. Local speakers and guests have approached David in different ways and he was pleasantly attending all requesting. ACE Events as an organizer had a very smooth experience with David until the last day, which we are highly thankful for and this is definitely a presence that we look forward to have in more events to come in future.”
Mais El-Ras. Ejadah Confex. Saudi Arabiawww.ejadahcon.com

“Enthusiastic, committed, inspiring, good communicator, clear and strategic. David Parrish has all these features. He first analyses carefully and then gives his wise advice guidance to culture and creative professionals to empower them and help them grow in the sector. We contacted him to participate in the Think up Culture! Conferences on Patronage and CCI Funding and it has been a pleasure to work with him, hope we can do it again soon!”
Anna Aguiló. Powerhouse Hub. Mallorca, Spain.www.powerhousehub.eu

“David was totally invaluable to my growth as a leader. His calm and considered approach let me delve right into the core of the issues facing my organization and my own professional development. The feedback that he gave was specific, honest, extremely generous and had a transformative effect on my work. I can’t recommend him highly enough.”
Sam Snedden. The Basement Theatre. Auckland, New Zealandwww.basementtheatre.co.nz

“David was excellent and very engaging. His advice about business development made what seems like a daunting task actually very simple by making you think differently.”
Karen Maxwell. Design Director. Four-by-Two. Edinburgh, Scotlandwww.four-by-two.com

“David Parrish was an inspiration to creative and digital entrepreneurs in Bogotá and made an excellent contribution to The Digital Debate as the international keynote speaker. By bringing his wide international experience and message about combining creative passion with smart business thinking, he helped to accelerate the growth of the digital industries in Colombia.”
Carlos F Ramirez. Managing Director. The Digital Debate, Bogotá. Colombiawww.thedigitaldebate.org

“David helped us to devise a marketing strategy which focuses on our competitive strengths and the best market segments. Using effective marketing techniques we have improved the way we connect our creative talents with profitable markets.”
Janina Gaudin. Director. Pepperbot Studios Ltd. New Zealandwww.pepperbot.com

“David was a guest lecture at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University Faculty of Creative Industries. David is a great communicator, clear and inspiring. We had many questions and even more ideas after the seminar. We still receive a positive feedback from students and lecturers that attended the seminar. David is very professional, busy but always open to the new ideas. Hope to have an opportunity to work together in the very next future. Thank you very much!”
Zivile Sedereviciute-Paciauskiene, Dean of the Faculty of Creative Industries. Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Lithuania.http://ki.vgtu.lt/

“The ‘Creative Talk’ interactive workshop on ‘How to Succeed as a Creative Entrepreneur’ in Bandung was a great success. David shared his international experience of business in the creative industries, and participants engaged with the event, giving us a new energy in the creative industries in Bandung.”
Febby Arhemsyah M. Creative Entrepreneur Network / Bandung Creative City Forum. Indonesiawww.bandungcreativecityforum.wordpress.com

“I was extremely unhappy with my business for years but couldn’t explain why. David gave me a totally new perspective after just one mentoring session. By helping me face those difficult questions, he has given me back my passion and drive that had totally disappeared. I am recommending him to everyone!”
Michelle Mc Carroll, Knitwear Designer, Michi, Ireland.www.michi.ie

“The workshop was just perfect. I obtained techniques on strategic thinking that will help me to develop an effective strategic plan and to be more target-oriented. David Parrish was a very interesting speaker, ready to answer all our questions.”
Leyli Salayeva /contemporary writer. Cultural and Creative Leaders. Azerbaijan

“As a startup everything we do matters, every choice to do something is a choice not to do another and our survival as a company depends on us making the right choices. The choice to work with David was definitely the right one. We had a limited amount of time working together on our first project for the company and in less than two days time we had crafted a cohesive short term and long term strategy that provides for desired growth, protects our IP, enables investment, and allows us to retain creative control of our technology. David’s ability to listen to your situation, to understand it, and then determine a course of action based on your specific needs and goals is rare and a makes David a joy to work with.”
Aric Wanveer. Zero Gravity Creations LLC, Baltimore, USAwww.zerogravitycreations.com

“People in Saudi were hungry for the workshop given by David Parrish in The 2016 Ejadah Confex. Seats in the “Business Growth Strategies and Marketing” workshop were quickly sold out. Everyone who attended left equipped with creative strategies to implement in their businesses and approaches to a more successful career. The feedback was all pleasant and everyone is looking forward to more of what David has to offer in future events.”
Lobna Hamada. Ejadah Confex. Saudi Arabiawww.ejadahcon.com

“David Parrish was a special guest of Creative Industries Summer School held in Moscow. Creative entrepreneurs from all over Russia said that David’s presentation was very inspiring, entertaining and very useful for them. His presentation “Creativity and Business: How to Succeed as a Creative Entrepreneur” was amazing and I am sure it will help develop creative entrepreneurship in Russia. We were very pleased to invite David to Moscow to work with us. David is a very bright and powerful expert. Thank you very much for your very interesting speech!”
Olga Kizina. Director. Creative Industries Agency. Moscow. Russia.www.creativeindustries.ru

“Creative businesses and digital startups found David’s interactive workshop to be interesting, entertaining and inspiring. From my experience as a startup founder I think his knowledge and experience will help the businesses at Biz Labs achieve both creative and commercial success.”
Ivan Dzheferov. Co-Founder at Biz Labs. Plovdiv, Bulgaria.http://bizlabs.eu/en/

“The workshop was useful and beneficial to me. I learned more about strategic planning. David was an asset to this program and an inspiration! I liked the seminar and how he presented the information. It was accessible and exciting. I loved it and enjoyed the seminar a lot.”
Olga Rudak. Cultural and Creative Leaders, Minsk, Belarus.

“David has been instrumental in developing our business strategy, and creating a new brand. I have worked with other consultants who facilitate rather than pitch in. David, with his wealth of experience within the creative industries, offered his own ideas and solutions, which was refreshing and hugely beneficial.”
Neil Adams. Managing Director. Powerhouse Digital Photography Ltdwww.phoodstudios.comwww.powerhousephoto.co.uk

“More does not mean better! The rhythm of the Workshop titled “Strategic Marketing” given by David Parrish in Bilbao Ekintza, in which 15 new entrepreneurs attended, has allow them to analyze, understand and use the insights of strategic marketing thanks to examples in a pleasant and illustrative way. Through this workshop we have understand the importance of Strategic Marketing, of listening to the customers and of using of the right message and media for each target of customers. Besides, each participant has been able to establish an action plan to invest in an efficient way the resources. Thanks David.”
Susana Bilbao. Bilbao Ekintza. Bilbao. Spainwww.bilbao.net

“David is a great mentor and business coach. He is very responsive to our needs and understands the complicated business models of the Creative Industries”
Jon Wetherall. Managing Director. Cool Game Arcade Ltdhttp://coolgamearcade.com/

“Great talk. David has a special talent to illustrate complex issues in very easy way, which I find very inspiring.”
Katka Letzing. Startup Malaysiawww.startupmalaysia.org

“David helped us to grow our digital business by working with us to clarify our vision and devise a feasible plan of action. He helped us orientate our business towards the best market segments, refine our marketing messages and improve our internal systems. Working with David was both enlightening and profitable.”
Chris Abram. Managing Director. Brighter Design Ltd.www.brighterdesign.co.uk

“As an economic development agency, we help creative and digital businesses to grow and create jobs. We are judged on results, so we use Dave as a business adviser because he delivers results.”
Kevin McManus. Head of Sector Development: Creative/Digital
Merseyside ACME / Liverpool Visionwww.merseysideacme.com

“EXCELLENT was the overwhelming response of delegates about David’s speech on ‘Creativity and Business’ at the Shropshire Creative Business Conference.”
Delia Yapp. Shropshire Council. Englandwww.shropshire.gov.uk

“David’s workshop in Valdivia really helped creative businesses in the region to focus on their strengths and develop their enterprises with even greater success. It’s a great experience to listen to David and to see how inspiring he is for local entrepreneurs. His book is an essential tool for creative people engaged in doing businesses based on creativity and talent. David’s ideas have been supportive of our work in creative industries in this small, but promising region”
Guillermo Olivares. Lateralis. Chilewww.lateralis.cl

“David is a marketing expert who understands and emphasises the importance of strategic marketing when growing a business. It’s really helpful to be able to talk things through with him as we grow.”
Rhiannon Eames-Jones. Milky Tea Ltd. UKwww.milkytea.com

“David’s expertise in the creative, digital and cultural sector is very useful to our clients in Lancashire and they have found his consultancy advice and training workshops very helpful in assisting them to strengthen and grow. David’s international experience is a bonus and he brings a wealth of insights and new approaches to benefit creative and cultural enterprises in our region.”
Ed Matthews-Gentle. Creative Lancashirewww.creativelancashire.org

“David Parrish’s approach to combining business and creativity is invaluable to anyone who flinches at the suggestion of turning their creative talent into a business opportunity. This perennial affliction which leads to the words “selling out” ringing in the ears of artists, musicians and other creatives is adeptly alleviated when David explains that business is merely a tool, like a hammer which can be used for good or bad; depending on who is wielding it. It can be a weapon or an implement to build with. After attending one of David’s presentations and reading his work any creative person should be in no doubt that business and entrepreneurship is a means to an end; the end being to make a living from their creative talent. It is up to the individual to decide how to use that means in a way that best fits with their product/service, artistic sensibilities and ethos. David was the perfect guest speaker to ignite the entrepreneurial spirit among the creative community of Donegal, very down to earth and accessible.”
Camilla Meegan. Partner. DNK Media Productions. Donegal, Ireland.www.dnkmedia.ie

“International adviser David Parrish was to many of the participants the most interesting speech on the conference, with his new perspectives on creativity and business. He had a clear message and used convenient examples.”
Ingvil Mjøen. Det bobler! Conference Organiser. Norwaywww.detbobler.no

“It was a great pleasure to offer this workshop to the creative entrepreneurs. At the end of it all of them had improved their projects and trusted themselves much more. David’s help has been essential for them, now they are ready to enter the market.”
Jone Zubiaga. Creativity Zentrum, Bilbao, Spainwww.creativityzentrum.com

“Workshop participants were very impressed and inspired by David’s speech and book because he avoided using jargon, gave clear illustrations to describe what creative business is about and explained the general principles of running a creative business. He talked about some important issues, such as intellectual property, business formulas, knowing your competitors, knowing your market, and being prepared to say No.”
HsinYi Ku. British Council, Taiwanwww.britishcouncil.org/Taiwan

“The ‘Designing Your Creative Business’ workshop was very good, with lots of important information and new perspectives. David Parrish was great, with a particular sense of humour, and was very good at motivating us.”
Mario Azen. Emporio de Cultura. Brazil.www.emporiodecultura.com.br

“David worked pro-actively with Culture Liverpool to help make creative and cultural enterprises in the city region stronger as businesses and more economically resilient in the long term.
He understands the sector and is well respected in Liverpool because of his work in the city region over the years.
His ability to establish a rapport with creative and cultural entrepreneurs is second to none. We’ve received excellent feedback from attendees at all of David’s sessions, his advice and workshops have proven to be stimulating, useful and gratefully received by our clients.”
Sean Durney. Culture Liverpool. Liverpool City Councilwww.itsliverpool.com/culture/

“After attending David’s workshop, the creative businesses at Fabrikken are prepared to be more focused, their prices are rising and they are more selective about what kind of customers they want.”
Henning Holmbakken. Fabrikken Manager. Lillehammer. Norwaywww.fabrikken.org

“David Parrish is an inspirational and quietly powerful person. His time with the students was very crucial: Reading is one thing, but listening and talking is an entirely different experience. The Portuguese national media also picked up on his visit which was GREAT for Católica University, the Creative Industries Management Masters team and David of course!”
Michael daCosta Babb. Universidade Católica Portuguesa. Porto. Portugalwww.porto.ucp.pt

“Dave was a great sounding board and independent viewpoint we used to develop the overall strategy for the business. The time we spent with Dave was a great way for us to focus on where the business is going over the next year and his facilitation of these discussions was extremely valuable. He made us take a step back and also look at our creative thinking processes which was also useful and better still…good fun!”
Anna Heyes. Managing Director. Active Profile Ltdwww.activeprofile.co.uk

“As an interpreter between creativity and business, international adviser David Parrish has developed a very practical and systematic methodology for guiding creative people to run their business. If you want to become a creative entrepreneur rather than a creative worker, David will help you review yourself, and teach you how you can protect your intellectual property and make money while you sleep.”
Irene Wu. Taiwan Design Centerhttp://www.tdc.org.tw/

“David’s exposition has been crucial for our small (yet ambitious) program: making this small new region of ours, at the antipodes of commerce and trade, become a world class pole for creative industries. Thanks to David’s clear and powerful ideas and presence, we’ve managed to convince “outsiders”, from traditional industries, to listen carefully to what’s in creative business for them and the regional development strategy. We all now speak a common language of business and creativity.”
Felipe Mujica Cominetti. Creative Industries de los Rios, Valdivia, Chilewww.industriascreativasdelosrios.cl

“David enables you to take a step a back from your business in a relaxed and informal way. He has a unique ability to not only immediately identify the root of a business issue but also the steps needed to address it. You walk away with the feeling that what you thought was a real problem can actually be addressed in quite a simple way – you just need to take that time out to allow David to show you how!”
Michelle Helsby. Evolvewww.evolveproductions.co.uk

“David Parrish is a very inspirational speaker. The way he illustrates his points is excellent. He makes you laugh and instantly you start to think about your own ideas and projects.”
Eli Folkestadaas. British-Norwegian Chamber of Commercewww.bncc.no

“David has the unique ability to look at your business goals, and help you make decisions to achieve those goals. He guides with his suggestions, without ever trying to tell you what to do and what is best for your company. He’s a great asset to be able to call upon!”
Matthew Houghton. Sauce Multimediawww.saucemultimedia.co.uk

“David was an inspiring guest speaker at the launch of the Creative Entrepreneurs Network in Beijing. As an experienced creative entrepreneur, business adviser and author of T-Shirts and Suits he was an ideal speaker for our network of creative entrepreneurs.”
Liang Junhong. British Council, Beijing. Chinahttp://www.britishcouncil.org.cn/en/china.htm

“David’s talk at the Creative People Conference was that rare thing, refreshingly open, informative and amusing. I particularly appreciated his frankness about great failures he has known – not least because they made his comments on how to avoid them more pertinent. A very engaging speaker”
Jeanne Jenner. Chief Executive. Arts+Media Trainingwww.amtcc.org.uk

“David’s participation in the second edition of ‘Encuentro de Economía Creativa – Valparaiso 2010’ was very important. His vision expressed both in his conference and workshop with creative project managers was highly valued by the public, who attended in large numbers to hear his presentation and to participate in the workshop. I’m sure his advices will be very useful for the development of creative industries in Valparaiso.”
Jorge Rosenthal Navarro. Creative Industries Valparaiso, Chilewww.industriascreativas.cl

“David created a great atmosphere. Despite being on a competition everyone was feeling very confident and they were all sharing ideas about the different projects. At the end of the two intensive days everyone thought it was a very useful and helpful workshop.”
Elena Ruiz. Creativity Zentrum, Bilbao, Spainwww.creativityzentrum.com

“David led a conversation with some Creative Entrepreneurs and spoke to an audience of Animation professionals and students. He gave an excellent insight into the merits and challenges of working internationally, which was both instructive and inspirational. We would highly recommend David as a motivational speaker and experienced Creative Entrepreneur.”
Nicola Pinder and Simon Preston. Creatives Loop Ltd

“David helped PRANA to consolidate its position as the premier creative industries incubator in Colombia and advised us on our strategy to become even more successful in the future. This was at a very important and critical time for PRANA. There was a risk we might have made the wrong strategic decisions. But with David’s support, PRANA renewed itself within a few months, becoming stronger and very much more useful for our clients.”
Juan Carlos Gaitán. PRANA Creative Industries Incubator. Bogotá. Colombiawww.pranaincubadora.org

“From the very beginnings of my business, David has provided insightful, thoughtful and detailed observations and advice that have helped me to grow both my business and myself as an individual – with the way I think about and act on my business and marketing efforts.”
Richard Wilde. Artybuzz.comwww.artybuzz.com

“Firstly, David is a great listener. This is a skill which is sometimes overlooked and it provides a great platform, along with his wealth of experience and strategic thinking, to offer great advice. He’s added clarity to the challenges facing our company and given us a clear perspective going forwards.”
Christopher McInerney. CM2 Creative Ltdwww.cm2creative.com

“My meeting with David was like a breath of fresh air. He allows you to take a step back from the business to see it from a new point of view and appreciate the bigger picture. He has given me a new sense of confidence to move forward with the business knowing we are firmly on the right path. Highly Recommended.”
Christian Hughes. Curly Productions Ltdwww.curlyproductions.co.uk

“David has helped enormously in focusing me during my company relaunch after 18 years working as a public relations professional.”
Liam Walsh. Ask Me PRwww.askmepr.com

“David has worked with Black and Ginger for three years and in that time has helped us to develop our business and recognise our potential within the creative industry. His advice and guidance is wonderfully concise: David tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear!”
Matt Wardle. Black and Gingerwww.blackandginger.com

“Since attending David’s workshop and then engaging him as an adviser, Sparkle Media has gone from strength to strength. The company now operates on a global level, going head to head with world wide agencies – and beating them. We’ve never looked back and have a lot to thank David for.”
Glenn Maguire. Director. Sparkle Media Ltdwww.sparklemedia.co.uk

“David was an invaluable mentor at a critical stage in the business’s early days. He forced me to think about profit margins and processes and he made me think ahead and consider how we would want to manage the business as it grew. He was also a fantastic sounding board when it came to thinking about how we managed the effective transition from two-man band to corporate entity. And a nice bloke too!”
Jon Brown. Managing Director. Factory Communicationswww.factory-pr.co.uk/

“Concrete Films is a video production and multimedia design company based in Liverpool. David Parrish’s support and advice has been a real asset to our creative venture, which has led to our steady growth and helped us win new exciting jobs.”
Jamie Burns. Concrete Films Ltdwww.concretefilms.co.uk

“David is a marketing expert who understands and emphasises the importance of strategic marketing when growing a business. It’s really helpful to be able to talk things through with him as we grow.”
Rhiannon Eames-Jones. Milky Tea Ltdwww.milkytea.com

“Dave’s knowledge, experience and coaching is highly applicable and relevant to any creative business in the twenty-first century. His advice has opened doors to exciting new opportunities and helped to avoid the many pitfalls along the way. He is a highly insightful and trustworthy mentor. It is a sheer pleasure to brainstorm with Dave and he has the ability help you stay focused after inspiring a batch of useful ideas. Whatever your vehicle of creativity is, Dave gives you the keys to make that car move while also providing a reality-based road map to help you get to your destination.”
John Scotland. Multi-Platform Video Productionwww.johnscotland.co.uk

“I was lucky to receive advice from Merseyside ACME and this helped me focus on what is important for me and finding ways of earning a living from what I do, and love. Since then, I have seen my business grow and develop in the right direction, and my sessions with David are like milestones for my growth. It helps me set up new objectives and be ambitious with who I am targeting for my next projects. Taking the next steps can be a daunting experience, and having the support and advice from ACME at this critical time is a precious gift.”
Laurence Payot. Artistwww.laurencepayot.com

“Dave draws out the best in us with simplicity and sensitivity.”
– Judy Mazonowicz. The Windows Project.

“I had much more fun than I thought possible at a finance workshop.”
– Alke Groppel-Wegener. Freelance Artist.

“Working with David seems to me quite different experience than I would have expected. You imagine working with a business consultant to be an arduous affair. In actual fact it has been quite refreshing. David tends to work with us in a very organic and informal way. You get the feeling he’s working for you and not the other way around. The results though that are being teased out are looking very informative and pertinent to us as an organisation.”
– Lee Taylor. Editor. Flux Magazine.

“David helped us take stock of our situation and re-apply our core principles to changing circumstances. This led to Prescap reorganising for the future and clarifying its strategy. David worked in a skilful and sensitive way making possible the bold changes Prescap needed.”
– Di Cuming. Chief Executive. Prescap.

“A very knowledgeable, professional and compassionate person who makes you feel at ease and seems to understand your business needs. I would personally recommend David anytime.”
– Peter Burke. Grass Root Network.

“Dave has the ability to hold your hand and lead you through the minefield of business development and evaluation without losing your legs!”
– Dawneey Warren. Latent Productions Ltd.

“The workshop made me think through everything from outside the business and sort ideas and plans in my head and on paper.”
– Kaya Ulrikke Herstad. Aurora Borealis Music.

“Creative Industries Guru.”
– British Council, Lithuania.

David with organiser Olga Kizina at summer school for creative entrepreneurs in Moscow

One of David’s creative business training workshop in Liverpool, UK

British Council creative entrepreneurs in Lithuania with David

David’s British Council Creative Economy unit workshop for creative entrepreneurs in Harare, Zimbabwe